WEN-CHONG SECURES CHINA’S REPRESENTATION AT THE ROYAL TROPHY

Sport » Golf

Contributor / 2009-11-16 14:19:14

Thirty-one year old Liang is the first Chinese player to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit

Liang Wen-chong has secured China’s representation in Asia’s defense to Colin Montgomerie’s European challenge at the fourth edition of the Royal Trophy.

The nomination of the People’s Republic’s top golfer for the Asian Team constitutes the seventh player appointment in Asian Captain Naomichi ‘Joe’ Ozaki’s construction of a powerful golf battalion to confront the Continent’s most difficult undertaking to date in the sport – defeating Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie’s European Team and retaining stewardship of the Royal Trophy.

Thirty-one year old Liang is the first Chinese player to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit and the winner of nine professional career titles, holds the 18-hole Asian Tour record – with a stunning 12-under-par 60 recorded at the Indian Open and has honorably represented China in the World Cup of Golf.

Liang’s Royal Trophy nomination is the European Tour two-time title winner’s second - the Zhongshan native was also a member of Ozaki’s historic 2009 Team which secured a colossal and emotional first-ever victory over the Europeans by a resounding score of 10-6. In that monumental occasion, Liang carried the Chinese and Asian flags with great success pairing with Korean Charlie Wi to defeat Europe in both the foursomes and four-ball matches.

“I officially announce Liang Wen-chong’s selection for the Asian Team with the utmost confidence. This nomination was made after careful consideration and deep strategic planning. Liang was a critical member of our successful Asian effort which secured our Continent’s great victory against the Europeans earlier this year. Together with Charlie Wi, Liang earned two of Asia’s total ten points. He played outstanding golf for Asia and demonstrated the greatest competitive spirit for our Continent;” stated the Japanese golfing giant Ozaki.

“Selecting eight players to represent Asia from all of the great golf talent that we now have available is a difficult and challenging task. But I am positive that we are molding a most competitive, cohesive and determined collection of Asian golf talent to produce the best result possible in confronting Captain Colin Montgomerie’s European challenge;” added the Japanese golf mastermind.

“I also take this opportunity to welcome Captain Montgomerie to the Royal Trophy. He will face a highly determined and most competitive Asian Team but I assure him that irrespective of the Matches being played in Asian soil, our Asian players will extend to him and to all of his players all of the courtesy and sportsmanship which is ‘trademark’ of our sport;” concluded the Asian golfing statesman.

Current European Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie assumed Europe’s captaincy for the Royal Trophy last week at the request of the legendary five-time Major winner Severiano Ballesteros, the Championship’s Founder. While Ballesteros has battled his current health condition with success and has made encouraging progress, the Spaniard former world number one concluded that it would be ideal to bring final certainty to the matter of who would lead the European challenge in Thailand.

“It is a tremendous honor to represent China in the Asian Team and to represent Asia in the Royal Trophy again. I have always felt that representing your people is a sporting gift of the greatest magnitude. I take Captain Ozaki’s nomination with the greatest appreciation and I accept it with the utmost sense of responsibility. I want to make China proud of the way I represent the Nation within the Asian Team and I want to contribute to bring victory to Asia;” said the winner of tournament titles in the European Tour, Japan Tour and Asian Tour.

“I am looking forward to playing my best golf for our Continent and to confront Europe with great courage, focus and determination. Captain Ozaki has brought together a very strong group of players for this difficult challenge and I am very proud of joining them. The Europeans will certainly produce a tough challenge but we have beaten them before and we will compete with all our energy and great passion to defeat them again;” added Liang, who has secured second place finishes at both the Japan Tour’s Asia Pacific Panasonic Open and the European and Asian Tour’s Barclays Singapore Open in 2009.

Liang joins six players previously nominated by Captain Ozaki for the Asian defense; eighteen year old global sensation - Ryo Ishikawa, the Japan Tour’s top player - Yuta Ikeda, current Asian Tour number one - Thongchai Jaidee, three-time winner in Japan in 2008 - Prayad Marksaeng, nine-time tournament title winner - Charlie Wi and two-time Asian Tour Order of Merit champion - Jeev Milkha Singh.

The European Team will feature world number seven Henrik Stenson, 2008 European number one Robert Karlsson and current European number three Martin Kaymer. Eight-time Ryder Cup player Montgomerie is presently selecting the next players who will form the European continental challenge.

The fourth edition of the Royal Trophy will be played on 8 – 10 January 2010 at the exclusive Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand. The Championship will feature a total of sixteen matches including foursomes, four-ball and singles with the winning Continent being awarded stewardship of the perpetual solid-silver sixteen-kilogram Royal Trophy, graciously donated by the world’s longest reigning Monarch – His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.

The Royal Trophy Premier and Major Sponsors include Heineken, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), PTT, Sports Authority of Thailand, Siam Commercial Bank, Sodick (Thailand) and THAI Airways. The Championship is also supported by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and Chonburi Provincial Government. For further Tournament information, please call +662 651 9499 or visit the official website www.TheRoyalTrophy.com. The Royal Trophy is promoted by Entertainment Group Limited and Amen Corner S.A.